A Confusing Hill in a Redwood Forest

Confusion Hill is a curiosity alongside Highway 101 in Northern California

I came across Confusion Hill while driving 101, also known as the Redwood Highway, en-route to the Avenue of the Giants redwood forest. Along the way, I had the thrill of driving through a giant redwood tree: something that I’m glad I got to do in my own car.

A Brief History of Confusion Hill

Information courtesy of the good folks at Wikipedia

Confusion Hill is a roadside attraction in Piercy, California. The attraction includes what is dubbed as a “gravity house,” a structure built to give the interior visitors tilt-induced optical illusions, similar to the perspective on a gravity hill. Occupants experience the need to stand upright when they actually already are.

Also included in the attraction is a 1½ mile narrow gauge railway built in a switchback layout along the side of a steep hill.

Since its opening in 1949 to 2009, Confusion Hill was directly along the heavily traveled US 101 highway, also known as the Redwood Highway. Due to constant mudslides obstructing the road in this area, US 101 was realigned to the Confusion Hill Bridges in 2009, thereby bypassing the attraction and requiring motorists to exit the new roadway to visit it. In 2010 Confusion Hill was granted California Points of Historical Interest status by the California Historical Resources Commission.